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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26197006">Bring the Broken Back to Life</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeeperOfUntoldDreams/pseuds/KeeperOfUntoldDreams'>KeeperOfUntoldDreams</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Undertale (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Creepy Chara (Undertale), Evil Chara (Undertale), Family Reunions, Frisk is relentless, Male Chara (Undertale), Male Frisk (Undertale), Misanthropy, My Chara is Vicious, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, SAVED Asriel Dreemurr, SAVED W. D. Gaster, child swearing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:54:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,634</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26197006</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeeperOfUntoldDreams/pseuds/KeeperOfUntoldDreams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>(This follows shortly after "The Stage is Set")</p><p>Asriel and Dr. Gaster have been considering finally joining everyone on the surface, but Asriel is hesitant, due to the inevitable explanations he'll have to deliver. However, Chara is ready to start a "new game" and isn't about to let things go easy for him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The title is based on lyrics from my <i>favorite</i> Breaking Benjamin song, "Never Again", from my favorite Breaking Benjamin album, Dark Before Dawn. </p><p>Like I said in The Stage is Set, if you cannot stand Chara being portrayed as evil/villainous, you won't like my stories. I go all out with evil Chara.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I made this in school today," Frisk said, presenting a piece of paper with a simple picture of a flower done in macaroni art, "it was supposed to be an Echo Flower, but, it didn't come out as exact as I wanted it too."</p><p>"That's nice," Flowey stated.</p><p>It was yet another of Frisk's regularly scheduled trips back to the Underground to visit the ones who stayed behind, namely Flowey and the enigmatic Dr. Gaster. Of course, they did not ask him to come back and visit, Frisk made the decision all on his own. So, every other day, Frisk would return to see them and talk at length about what was going on with everyone on the surface and ask them how they were doing.</p><p>"Next week we're gonna start using dry rice in our art," Frisk told the yellow flower gladly.</p><p>"Hey," Flower replied placidly, "that sounds fun."</p><p>"I know it goes without saying," Frisk sighed, "but, Toriel really is the best teacher I've ever had, her school is way better than my old one."</p><p>"Well, duh." Flowey scoffed.</p><p>Frisk then flopped down in the bed of flowers next to Flowey and all was quiet for a good while as they both stared up at the cavern's opening allowing light in above them.</p><p>Moments like these were always welcome, but, part of Flowey did dread it, because, he knew that whenever Frisk got quiet like this, he was gearing up to bring up that topic, which he brought up every time he visited.</p><p>"So..." Frisk started innocently tilting his head to look at Flowey.</p><p>"So..." Flowey returned, shifting his eyes toward Frisk, acting as if he did not know what was coming.</p><p>"Have you thought about finally joining us on the surface?" the human boy asked quickly.</p><p>Flowey rolled his eyes and slumped forward.</p><p>"Frisk..." he sighed deeply.</p><p>"Please, Asriel, please-" the human child pleaded.</p><p>"Frisk, how many times do I have to say it?" the yellow flower asserted, "I. Am. Flowey. Not. Asriel!"</p><p>"Please, I'm not saying you have to stay with us," Frisk continued, ignoring Flowey's comment, "there's so much room up there, you can go wherever you want..."</p><p>"That same logic applies to the Underground as well, you know," Flowey said flatly.</p><p>"There's so much sunlight!" Frisk affirmed.</p><p>"We got light right here," Flowey replied.</p><p>"There's fresh air!" Frisk added.</p><p>"We get air down here." the flower countered.</p><p>"There's so much to see!" Frisk cried, flailing his little arms.</p><p>"Frisk!" Flowey said sharply.</p><p>The human boy slumped down in the flower bed.</p><p>"Listen to me, please," the golden flower voiced, "honestly, I have been thinking about coming to the surface."</p><p>Frisk smiled hopefully in response.</p><p>"However," Flowey continued, "there's some stuff I need to sort out before I agree to that."</p><p>"What kind of stuff?" Frisk wondered, "Can I help?"</p><p>"No, no, no," the flower insisted, "please, you've done more than enough for me, this is purely a 'me' problem, just let me worry about it."</p><p>"Are you sure?" the human boy asked dejectedly.</p><p>Flowey was about to respond when he noticed that his old "friend" Chara manifested behind Frisk, flashing a menacing smile and holding a knife, with which he made threatening motions toward the harmless human child in front of him.</p><p>It took literally everything Flowey had to not react in front of Frisk, he took a deep breath and exhaled as calmly as he could manage.</p><p>"We'll talk about this another time," the golden flower said, "but, it's getting late and I'm sure your friends would like you to return home soon."</p><p>Chara vanished with a snide smile as Dr. Gaster entered the room.</p><p>"I agree," the old scientist said, "come on, Frisk, let's get you back to the exit."</p><p>Frisk was sad to go, but, complied anyway, taking the skeletal man's hand as he led him out of the room, of course, using his teleportation abilities, Gaster had Frisk to the exit in no time.</p><p>"Here we are," Dr. Gaster said, as he and Frisk stood in front of the corridor that was once blocked by the magic barrier that kept Monsterkind trapped underground, "until next time, Frisk, be good." Frisk then left, but, not before getting one last hug from the skeleton man.</p><p>At the end of the corridor, Frisk found Sans waiting for him.</p><p>"Hey, kiddo," the short skeleton greeted him, "did you have fun?"</p><p>Frisk nodded.</p><p>"All right, let's get home," Sans said, "Toriel should have dinner ready soon."</p><p>He then took the human boy home using his own teleportation powers.</p><p>As soon as they were gone, Gaster, who had watched them until they left, returned to the same room as Flowey.</p><p>"They gone?" Flowey asked.</p><p>"Yep," Dr. Gaster said, "Sans wastes no time taking Frisk home."</p><p>"Good." Flowey sighed.</p><p>The yellow flower then morphed back into his true form, Asriel Dreemurr, then, together he and Gaster stared quietly at the cavern ceiling for a moment.</p><p>"Were you being honest?" the skeleton man suddenly asked.</p><p>"Huh?" the flower responded curiously.</p><p>"You said that you were thinking about going to the surface," Dr. Gaster inquired, "did you mean it?"</p><p>"Honestly, yes," Asriel said, "there are still things that need to be taken care of."</p><p>"Such as...how to explain your fate?" the old scientist queried.</p><p>"There's that." the goat child stated.</p><p>Suddenly he heard Chara laughing somewhere close by, his sinister giggles echoing through the cavern.</p><p>"There's a lot that needs to be explained," Asriel said stiffly, "I just...need to figure out how to do it, hopefully, I can by Frisk's next visit."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>And...cue Chara!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My Chara loves to play games...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At the home of Frisk and company, after eating dinner, Frisk got into his pajamas and sat in the living room with everyone else to watch a movie. After their movie, Toriel took Frisk upstairs to put him to bed.</p><p>"There you go," Toriel said, tucking the human child in, "good night, Frisk."</p><p>"Good night, Toriel," Frisk said tiredly in return.</p><p>The goat woman planted a kiss on the human boy's forehead before turning off his bedroom light and leaving the room. As soon as she was gone, Frisk lifted the corner of his pillow, revealing some petals from golden flowers that stuck to him from past visits to the Underground. For some reason, he felt compelled to keep them close, like they were tangible proof that he would bring his remaining friends in the Underground to the surface one day.</p><p>"Good night Gaster," Frisk murmured restfully, "good night...Asriel."</p><p>With that, he set the corner of his pillow back down and pat it affectionately before laying his head down and drifting off to sleep.</p><hr/><p>Sometime late into the evening, as everyone slept soundly, a mass of darkness materialized in Frisk's room, as the notorious Chara let himself in. The unholy child approached the bedside of the sleeping human boy, completely unaware of the intruder.</p><p>"Aw, look at you, all peaceful and dead to the world," Chara muttered with condescension, looking the bed up and down, "completely unaware of how unsafe you are."</p><p>The demonic boy drew his knife from the rim of his pants and held it in one hand, while intently drawing his fingers on his other hand along the side of the cold, sturdy blade.</p><p>"I could cut your pure little heart out right here, right now...if I felt like it." he sighed quietly.</p><p>Somehow, despite Chara being right at his side, Frisk did not seem to hear the other boy speaking, still dead asleep. Finally, Chara decided it was time to stop wasting time and do what he came there to do. He leaned in as close as he could, so close he was almost making physical contact with Frisk, his hands curved around the sides of his mouth, just over Frisk's ear.</p><p>"Hey, there's no school tomorrow, nothing planned," Chara whispered, his words distorted in a way that surely the human child would think them a dream, "why not pay a bonus, impromptu visit to Underground, you know, surprise Gaster and Asriel."</p><p>Frisk shifted a bit, but, did not wake.</p><p>"S...Surprise..." the sleeping human boy mumbled, "...Gas...ter...As...riel."</p><p>"No warning," Chara continued in his quiet, distorted voice, "just gonna go straight to the throne room of Asgore's old castle."</p><p>"Th...Throne...room..." Frisk murmured.</p><p>"Everyone will be so surprised," Chara added.</p><p>"Surprised..." the sleeping child sighed.</p><p>It was then Frisk started stirring, which Chara took as his cue to leave, vanishing from the room just as Frisk opened his eyes. The human boy sat up and looked around his room; all was quiet, the lights were still off, and there was not a soul in the room with him, yet something spurred him to wake up. Pensive, Frisk lifted the corner of his pillow to look at his flower petals again, picking one up and gently rubbing it between his fingers as he thought.</p><p>"Would Toriel let me go again tomorrow?" he mused quietly, "It's worth a shot, I already decided that I'd never give up on them, so, maybe it's time to get persistent."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>...But he seldom plays fair.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Here we go!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You want to go visit the Underground," Toriel asked curiously, "again, already?"</p><p>"Yes," Frisk said, "please."</p><p>"Oh, I am not sure, Frisk," the goat woman said, "everyone has plans today and I have papers to grade, so, I do not know if anyone can accompany you."</p><p>"I'm not going all the way into it this time," Frisk explained, "just inside the part that leads outside."</p><p>Toriel still looked unsure.</p><p>"You know," the human boy offered, "someone could take me there and leave me, then I could call you when I'm done there."</p><p>"But," Toriel inquired, "why do you absolutely need to go back today?"</p><p>Frisk looked down at the ground.</p><p>"It's hard to explain," he said, "but, something is telling me that it's important that I drop by again today."</p><p>The human child looked up at his confused caretaker.</p><p>"Please let me go," he implored, "I promise when I'm done there, I'll come home and go to bed early."</p><p>"Oh, now, that is not-" Toriel tried to say, but, found it hard to find the words as the human boy looked up at her pleadingly, "just...give me a minute, I will take you myself."</p><p>Frisk smiled happily in response.</p><hr/><p>Asriel was sitting in the living room of his old home in New Home, where he usually stayed when Frisk was not visiting.</p><p>He was sitting on the floor, reading one of his mother's old books she had left behind, he may not have fully understood what the book was about, but, it helped the time pass faster. He would do the same whenever he went through Home in the Ruins, but, those books were not in as good as condition.</p><p>"Lot of big words in that book," he suddenly heard, "are you sure you can figure it out?"</p><p>There was no mistaking it, it was Chara.</p><p>"It's not that hard," Asriel stated.</p><p>Silence, as Chara walked over to the old bookshelf, glancing over the assortment of ancient books.</p><p>"Did you really listen when she read these books to you?" Chara question coolly, "Be honest."</p><p>Asriel would have told him to leave, but, by this point, he knew it was a losing battle, so, now all he could figure to do is endure it while it lasted.</p><p>"We didn't read all of them together." the goat boy said flatly.</p><p>Chara walked over to the old dining table, where a vase with golden flowers in it sat.</p><p>"Amazing these things are still alive," the now-inhuman boy noted, "if I can give your kind anything you can pretty much grant plant immortality...well most of you."</p><p>Asriel glanced in Chara's direction, wary, yet curious about what he would say next.</p><p>"I tell you, I didn't know whether to think it sad or hilarious, watching Home all these years," Chara voiced, "Toriel loved to put flowers in those vases, but, she could not keep them alive very long."</p><p>Chara casually pinched the petals on the flowers on the table.</p><p>"I tell ya, the adults where I came from couldn't parent for shit," Chara remarked, "yet, they could somehow keep a hardy garden."</p><p>With that, Asriel promptly shut the book he was reading.</p><p>"Why. Are. You. Still. Here!?" the goat child uttered.</p><p>Chara did not respond.</p><p>"You can go literally anywhere in existence in the blink of an eye," Asriel continued, "nobody is forcing you to stay here, why don't you just go!?"</p><p>Chara turned to face him, stone-faced, inhaled deeply...and burst out laughing hysterically.</p><p>"You, of all people," the unholy boy retorted haughtily, "seriously have the <em>nerve </em>to ask someone that question, you who is staying here of your own volition, while you have others out there who would welcome with open arms?"</p><p>Asriel glared at him.</p><p>"You don't feel anything, you never have," Asriel argued, "so you wouldn't understand-"</p><p>"Wrong," Chara interjected, "I understand completely."</p><p>Asriel stared at him dubiously.</p><p>"Running and hiding from your problems," Chara voiced, "making excuses to dodge responsibility, lying to yourself...just natural Dreemurr family traits, huh?"</p><p>"That's...not...true." the goat boy said stiffly.</p><p>"Really, it's not?" the demonic boy countered, "Because, when we went bye-bye, what happened? Asgore told everyone that he'd destroy humanity, knowing full well he'd never go through with it, but, kept the lie going to, you know, 'give everyone hope', and Toriel ran away and hid, abandoning her people when they needed her most."</p><p>"Th-That's..." Asriel tried to say.</p><p>"Now, here you are," Chara continued, "back in your true form and mentality, yet, choosing to hide from those who love you, lying to the best friend you have always wanted, because you somehow think this makes up for everything you did as Flowey."</p><p>The goat child desperately wanted to refute him, but, due to how sound his argument was, he struggled to find the words.</p><p>"N-None of us..." Asriel said hesitantly, "are proud...of the choices we made."</p><p>Chara looked at him disdainfully.</p><p>"Every day I think about what I did back then, both as myself and as Flowey!" Asriel cried, "I never expected forgiveness, I never expected redemption, and if there was anything I could do to make up for it all, I would!"</p><p>Chara looked on with intrigue.</p><p>"You mean it?" the inhuman boy asked.</p><p>"Yes!" Asriel insisted.</p><p>Suddenly, Chara grabbed him by his shirt collar and warped from the room with him.</p><hr/><p>Sometime later, Frisk and Toriel, who was leading him by the hand, arrived at the hill leading up to the mountainside with the opening to the Underground.</p><p>"Are you sure you can make it up there by yourself?" Toriel asked the human child.</p><p>"Yeah," Frisk assured her, "I've done it before."</p><p>"Okay," Toriel said, "just remember, as soon as you are done here call someone."</p><p>"I will." the human affirmed.</p><p>The goat woman then watched as the human boy made his way up the hill, once he made it to the top, he turned around to wave to her, signaling that he was set and she could go.</p><hr/><p>When he finally saw light again, Asriel found that Chara had brought him to the throne room of New Home's old castle, the sprawling garden of golden flowers still alive and healthy as ever. Asriel looked around, not a thing had changed since the day the Underground went empty, save for the number of flowers.</p><p>"Brings back memories," Chara sighed patronizingly, "doesn't it, Asriel?"</p><p>Asriel turned back at him tensely.</p><p>"Why did you bring me here?" he asked warily.</p><p>Chara looked on stoically.</p><p>"Nobody and I mean <em>nobody </em>in this world is above consequences, I will <em>not</em> allow it," the unholy child asserted, "you want to own up to your actions? Then prove it, right...about...now."</p><p>Suddenly, Chara vanished.</p><p>"What?" Asriel responded, very confused, "What does that mean, Chara? Chara!?"</p><p>"As...ri...el?" he suddenly heard.</p><p>A familiar, amiable voice that hit him like a ton of bricks; slowly, Asriel turned around and found a stunned Frisk staring at him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Time for an obligatory, "Well, this is awkward" comment.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was for only a couple minutes, but, it felt like hours, that Asriel and Frisk stared at each other in the old throne room, Frisk said nothing, though, his eyes clearly asked numerous questions.</p><p>"Frisk..." Asriel finally spoke, breaking the silence, "what brings you back so soon?"</p><p>Frisk looked him up and down.</p><p>"What...brought...<em>you</em>...back?" the human boy asked meekly.</p><p>Asriel inhaled as much as his lungs would allow and exhaled deeply, there was no escape now, no excuse he could possibly make, an explanation was in order, Frisk <em>deserved</em> an explanation.</p><p>"I...never left...actually..." the goat boy explained awkwardly, "I have...been able...to stay myself...ever since the Underground went empty."</p><p>Frisk instantly went from confused to upset.</p><p>"But," he replied, trying to rein back his consternation, "you said you couldn't maintain that form without the souls, you said you'd turn back into a flower-"</p><p>"To be fair," Asriel interjected, "I really did think that was what was going to happen after I gave the souls back, they gave me the power to take that form, so, I figured that giving them up would mean I'd no longer be able to take it."</p><p>"Well, that wasn't the case," Frisk questioned, "so...why did you pretend to still be Flowey?"</p><p>Asriel looked at the ground, staring at the golden flowers, that by this point he felt were judging him.</p><p>"Well," the goat child voiced, "I wasn't lying when I said I wasn't ready to go to the surface...that I had stuff that I needed to sort out..."</p><p>Frisk looked on curiously.</p><p>"I was Flowey for a <em>long </em>time, Frisk," Asriel expressed soberly, "and as Flowey I did...a lot of bad things, inexcusable, unforgivable things."</p><p>"But, I forgave you," Frisk said.</p><p>Asriel shook his head.</p><p>"Frisk, you know you're not the only one I hurt," he affirmed, "and being forgiven by others is one thing, but, forgiving <em>yourself</em> is another...and I <em>can't</em> forgive myself."</p><p>"How could you help it, though?" Frisk inquired, "Flowey had no soul."</p><p>"But, he-I still knew the difference between right and wrong," Asriel asserted, "I knew what I was doing was bad and I did it anyway and I can't take it back, I can't undo anything I've done, as for me or as Flowey and I have to live with it!"</p><p>Frisk was quiet for a moment as he thought about what Asriel just said.</p><p>"Yeah, you're right," the human child voiced, "you can't undo it...so why are you staying here? What does you staying down here fix?"</p><p>Asriel thought about it, then turned away from Frisk.</p><p>"I...it...nothing," the goat boy sighed, "it fixes nothing..."</p><p>They both stay silent for several seconds until Asriel felt a tug on his shirt sleeve, Frisk trying to get his attention.</p><p>"Then...come home with me." the human boy requested.</p><p>"Frisk..." Asriel sighed.</p><p>"You already said you'll have to live with what you've done," Frisk queried, "so, why does it matter where you live with it?"</p><p>The goat boy closed his eyes tightly.</p><p>"I just..." he tried to find the wording for his explanation, but, it proved to be a challenge, "I just...need...I..."</p><p>Suddenly, the room grew dark, shadows from seemingly nowhere slowly swallowing up the light in the room.</p><p>"Frisk," Asriel said urgently, "you need to go, now!"</p><p>"Tsk, tsk, tsk," the unmistakable voice of Chara called, "still trying to run away, Asriel?"</p><p>Then, Frisk was pulled back into the darkness by an unseen force.</p><p>"Asriel!" Frisk uttered as he disappeared.</p><p>"No, stop," Asriel called, "Chara, please, stop!"</p><p>"You want him back so badly," Chara challenged, "then come find him, but, for now, Frisk and I are gonna have some human talk."</p><hr/><p>When he opened his eyes, Frisk found himself in a dark, hazy place, devoid of sound. He was standing up, surely on solid ground, yet he felt like he was floating.</p><p>"Asriel?" Frisk called tensely into the surrounding darkness, "Asriel!?"</p><p>"He's not here yet, so you'll have to wait," he heard, "so it's just us for now."</p><p>He turned around to see another human boy emerge from the shadows, short brown hair and red eyes that glowed like embers in a fire.</p><p>"But, while we're waiting," the sinister boy continued, "let's talk...about Humans and Monsters."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>And now...a psychological stand-off between two children.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I regret nothing (in this particular story).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Who...Who are you?" Frisk asked the menacing child tensely.</p><p>"Well," the red-eyed boy returned, "who do <em>you</em> think I am, Frisk?"</p><p>Frisk looked on speechlessly, likely put off by the fact that the other boy knew his name.</p><p>"Here's a hint," the ominous boy offered, "you already know my name, you've heard it countless times now."</p><p>With his unearthly powers, he whisked himself over and stood face-to-face with Frisk.</p><p>"Say it," the mysterious boy ordered, "say my name, Frisk."</p><p>Frisk stared him in fear and confusion as he thought about it, it did not take long for the realization to hit.</p><p>"You're..." Frisk answered meekly, "...C-Chara?"</p><p>Chara smiled demonically, his red eyes glowing intensely at the sound of his own name.</p><p>"Yes," he responded, his voice eerily placid, "that's right."</p><p>"Why are you here?" Frisk wondered, trying to remain as composed as possible.</p><p>Chara shrugged.</p><p>"I just wanna talk..." he said, "you know, honestly, I've been wanting to for a while now."</p><p>Frisk looked at the ground, then back at Chara.</p><p>"Asriel...told me not to talk to you..." the pacifist human boy said awkwardly, "if I ever met you..."</p><p>Chara rolled his eyes with a look of disgust.</p><p>"Ugh, what," the red-eyed child scoffed, "the crybaby wafer cookie owns you now?"</p><p>"Well..." Frisk retorted stoically, "he's told me a lot about you...is any of it wrong?"</p><p>Chara opened his mouth, as if to respond, then smirked.</p><p>"No, no it's not," the eldritch boy snickered, "literally everything he's told you about me is legit."</p><p>Frisk looked on, stunned at Chara's brazen admission.</p><p>"Why?" the pacifist, human boy uttered, "Why did you do it?"</p><p>"You'll have to be specific, kiddo," Chara replied coolly, "I did <em>a lot </em>of things."</p><p>Frisk looked over his surroundings as he thought about what to ask and how.</p><p>"Your plan...making Asriel absorb your soul..." the benevolent human child questioned, "trying to kill that entire village...why? What made you do that?"</p><p>"What <em>made</em> me?" Chara retorted, "Nothing <em>made</em> me, I did it because I <em>wanted</em> to."</p><p>"But, why!?" Frisk prompted, "Why do you hate humanity so much!? What happened on the surface that could make you wanna kill all of the human race!?"</p><p>"Nothing <em>happened</em> to me," Chara replied simply, "humans suck, they need to suffer, plain and simple."</p><p>Frisk looked at him, vexed.</p><p>"That's it?" he voiced dubiously, "That can't be it!"</p><p>Chara looked at him questioningly.</p><p>"I...nobody...nobody just hates people for no reason," Frisk argued, "whether it's because of one person or many, your reason <em>has</em> to be personal!"</p><p>Chara stared at him blankly for a moment, took a deep breath, then...started laughing hysterically, startling the other boy.</p><p>"A <em>personal</em> reason, huh?" the unholy boy voiced derisively, "Okay, how's this for a personal reason?"</p><p>Frisk looked on tensely.</p><p>"Human beings are pathetic, asinine, vapid creatures that don't deserve freedom or clemency," Chara continued, "how is that for a personal reason?"</p><p>"...H-Huh?" the bewildered Frisk responded.</p><p>"Clemency...it's another word for 'mercy'," Chara stated.</p><p>"No, but..." the other boy questioned, "why do you feel that way?"</p><p>"Uh, duh," Chara answered condescendingly, "because, you only need to be around people for so long before you realize just how worthless and absurd they are."</p><p>Seeing that Frisk still looked baffled by his words, Chara sighed aloud and rolled his eyes, then he placed himself in front of Frisk, placed both of his hands on each side of his head, and forced him to look him in the eyes.</p><p>"Listen very closely and then see if you have any more questions," the red-eyed boy expressed, "I hate humans and I hate monsters, humans are pathetic and the fact that monsters lost a war to them makes them...absolutely contemptible. I have <em>zero</em> tolerance for weakness and compassion, something that monsterkind just seems to ooze, after the time I spent down here, I came to the conclusion that those monsters didn't deserve to <em>live</em> let alone be free."</p><p>Frisk's eyes widened, this was far from what he expected to hear.</p><p>"So, I finally decided that I was done, I no longer wanted any association with humans or monsters," Chara continued, smushing Frisk's face between his palms, "I wanted to distance myself as much as I could, to rise high above them all, look down upon them, and design their fates to my liking. I wanted to become neither human nor monster, by all accounts a God, and as a God, I would observe them, judge them, and bring down any consequences I saw fit."</p><p>He giggled wickedly.</p><p>"I killed two birds with one stone that day," Chara said, "I found a way to get my Godhood and to punish those witless monsters for their naivety and vulnerability, for what could be more crushing than losing your 'little human savior' your 'hope for the future' your 'future of humans and monsters'?"</p><p>Frisk tried to shake his head, but, Chara's hold made it a challenge.</p><p>"At first, I was upset that my plan for ravaging humanity went south," the red-eyed child voiced haughtily, "but, I quickly realized that that guileless crybaby getting himself killed was bonus points, not only would those monsters remain trapped underground, but, now they had to deal with the loss of their precious future king and the fallout of king and queen's grief. Such a huge divergence from my initial plan and I still ended up becoming a God, it was perfect, now I can do whatever I want whenever I please and I dish out any punishment I see fit!"</p><p>Finally, Frisk managed to break away from his grasp.</p><p>"Th...That's not...fair," Frisk spoke hesitantly, "you can't...punish...people based on...your own ideals."</p><p>"Oh, is that right?" the sinister boy countered, "But, isn't that exactly what your beloved pal Sans did in the Underground?"</p><p>Frisk flinched, unable to respond.</p><p>"Ah, that age-old hubris," Chara affirmed, "'your beliefs differ from mine, therefore they're bad', that's one thing humans and monsters have in common."</p><p>"It's wrong to hurt innocent people!" Frisk uttered.</p><p>"Innocent!?" Chara snapped back, shaking with laughter, "Who is innocent here? Humans aren't innocent, they do wrong every day, whether they hurt someone themselves, turn a blind eye to it, or simply somehow remain ignorant to it! Monsters aren't innocent, I don't care what their souls are made of, they are just as selfish, petty, and <em>stupid</em> as human beings! Hell, I say monsters are <em>worse</em>, at least when humans set out to do something, they get it <em>done</em>, I've never seen those monsters put in the effort humans have."</p><p>"Asriel broke the barrier!" Frisk asserted.</p><p>"Only because of <em>you</em>," Chara scoffed, "a <em>human</em>."</p><p>"Well," Frisk retorted, "he was a soulless flower because of you!"</p><p>Chara rolled his eyes, his facial expression remaining ever scornful.</p><p>"That little candy-ass became a flower because he had no nerve," the unearthly boy returned contemptuously, walking toward the darkness as he spoke, "he was all talk, all resolute up until the moment we faced the humans of that village, then, just like that, he couldn't do it, he backed down and paid the price for it. A sissy and a quitter to the bitter end, just like those parents of his."</p><p>"ENOUGH!" Frisk suddenly yelled.</p><p>His outburst got Chara's attention.</p><p>"Stop talking about them like that," Frisk cried, "how can you talk so horribly about people who loved you so much, who made you a part of their family!?"</p><p>Chara looked at him in disdain.</p><p>"Oh, what," he asked snidely, "are you part of their family now?"</p><p>Frisk looked up with a serene expression.</p><p>"I'd like to be," he said hopefully.</p><p>Chara glared at the ground.</p><p>"Of course," he muttered, "you'd fit right in with them."</p><p>"They're good people!" Frisk asserted.</p><p>"You heard one side of the story,<em> in passing</em>," Chara sighed, "watched five random tapes in the lab, and you really think you get the full picture?"</p><p>He warped himself back in front of Frisk.</p><p>"Let me level with you here," the sinister boy voiced, "yes, okay, for a fleeting moment I<em> was</em> happy to be down here, because, I took it as liberation from the human world, finally, I'd be free of the insufferable masses I was forced to call brethren. But, it was not long before something occurred to me, as I spent time with those monsters, listened to them speak, watched their daily lives, I realized...that they were hardly any different from the damn human race!"</p><p>A powerful wave of energy surged through the dark area, the darkness billowing violently, like storm clouds.</p><p>"School, work, families, relationships," Chara growled, his red eyes glowing intensely, "there was nothing even remotely unique about them, even their magic disappointed me, all that power and they were no match for humans at all? Disgusting, I looked at them and saw nothing but garbage and when I closed my eyes and listened to them speak, I felt as though I never left the surface, it was no different than listening to humans blather!"</p><p>The energy surges came continuous, making it hard for Frisk to stay standing.</p><p>"I. HATE. THEM!" Chara screamed, his eyes turning black, oozing an inky liquid, "I HATE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM! HUMANS! MONSTERS! THEY'RE ALL DESPICABLE, WORTHLESS CREATURES! I DECIDED WITH THIS POWER I WOULD FINALLY MAKE THIS WORLD, THIS EXISTENCE, BEARABLE FOR ME! I CAN MAKE WHATEVER KIND OF WORLD I WANT, I WILL MAKE WHATEVER KIND OF WORLD I WANT WHENEVER I WANT AND THERE'S NOT A DAMN THING YOU, ASRIEL, SANS, OR ANYONE CAN DO ABOUT IT!"</p><p>"It was no different, huh?" Frisk interjected placidly, "Humans and monsters, not so different from each other you say?"</p><p>Chara stared blankly at him as he spoke.</p><p>"From hearing your logic, I am even more convinced..." the pacifist boy proclaimed, "that the monsters imprisonment underground truly was unfair!"</p><p>Swallowing hard and pushing aside any lingering fear, Frisk looked Chara right in his piercing, fiery-red eyes.</p><p>"There's nothing wrong with the world," Frisk expressed resolutely, "the problem isn't humans or monsters, it's people like <em>you</em>, people who only see bad in everyone and everything, who thrive on the suffering of others who can't or won't fight back, who see any act of humanity as weakness, people who will just<em> never. be. happy</em>!"</p><p>"And people like you are so much better?" Chara argued, undaunted, "People who only see the good in everyone, who show mercy to those who don't deserve it, who turn a blind eye to the cold, bitter veracity of reality?"</p><p>"I don't turn a blind eye to it," Frisk contended, "I go out of my way to push through it, just because the bad stuff is there doesn't mean you can let it stop you, especially when what you're after is right in front of you."</p><p>Chara raised an unimpressed eyebrow.</p><p>"That's what Daddy always said," Frisk stated</p><p>"Daddy?" a confused Chara responded, "You <em>have </em>parents?"</p><p>"My daddy," Frisk voiced contently, "the human who works harder than any other I've ever met!"</p><p>"But, then..." Chara queried, baffled by what he just heard, "why are you staying with the monsters?"</p><p>"That's none of your business," Frisk countered, "all that matters is that I've seen how strong and determined humans can be, Daddy showed me, and...I look forward to the day he can meet our new family."</p><p>"You decided that all on your own?" Chara questioned dismissively, "What if 'Daddy' doesn't approve of your new 'family'? What if he tries to take you away?"</p><p>"We've been all over the news since the day the barrier came down," Frisk affirmed proudly, "everyone knows us and we're easy to find, if he wanted to take me away so badly, he could've done so a long time ago!"</p><p>"If that's the case," Chara offered patronizingly, "what if you daddy simply doesn't care about you anymore?"</p><p>Frisk was silent for a moment, then smiled contently, scoffing quietly.</p><p>"If you knew why I climbed the mountain the day I first fell down here," Frisk voiced firmly, "you would know...that thought is no concern of mine whatsoever!"</p><p>"Well, what about your moth-" Chara tried to ask.</p><p>"It doesn't matter!" Frisk interjected, done listening to the eldritch boy speak, "Nothing you say matters, in the end, I will always be there for the people I love most, even if I can't always help, I'll never turn my back on them!"</p><p>Chara looked on with a very bored expression.</p><p>"Ugh..." he groaned, "I will never understand people like you."</p><p>"Yeah," Frisk sighed, "Flowey was the same way."</p><p>"Well," Chara said indifferently, "unlike your precious Flowey, a soul, or lack of, had nothing to do with my mindset, cram all the souls in me you want, my ideals will never change."</p><p>"Yeah?" Frisk replied with resolve, "Well, kill me as many times as you want, I will never abandon <em>my</em> ideals."</p><p>Chara rolled his eyes.</p><p>"All right," the red-eyed child groaned in disgust, "you know what? I've had my fun, get out of my sight, I'll deal with you some other time."</p><p>With that, Chara walked into the darkness, leaving Frisk alone; realizing he was alone, Frisk looked around nervously.</p><p>"Asriel?" Frisk called out, "Asriel!? Help!"</p><p>"Frisk!?" he heard.</p><p>The human boy turned around and saw Dr. Gaster stumble out of the darkness, with Asriel right behind him.</p><p>"Asriel!" Frisk cried gladly.</p><p>He ran over and jumped into the goat boy's arms, both of them slumping to their knees.</p><p>"Oh, Frisk," Asriel said gratefully, "I'm so glad you're okay, I'm sorry it took so long, we looked everywhere for you."</p><p>Frisk hugged Dr. Gaster as well.</p><p>"Whenever that wretched little Chara is present," Gaster grumbled, "getting around becomes a bit of a chore."</p><p>Moments later, the dark area vanished and they found themselves back in the living room of the Dreemurr's old home in New Home.</p><p>Suddenly, Frisk's head rested against Asriel's lap.</p><p>"Ah," Asriel responded curiously, "Frisk?"</p><p>"Tired." the human boy yawned.</p><p>"We <em>have</em> been here a while," Gaster said, "the sun is starting to go down."</p><p>"Okay," Asriel replied, "Frisk, I think it's time you went h-"</p><p>It was then he heard the light snores of the human boy who had drifted off to sleep.</p><p>Asriel sighed.</p><p>"I guess a quick nap wouldn't hurt," he said.</p><hr/><p>After Frisk had fallen asleep, Asriel decided to carry him to his and Chara's old bedroom and placed him in his old bed so he could rest comfortably.</p><p>Gaster came to the doorway holding something in his hand.</p><p>"Frisk's cellphone," he said, "it must've slipped from his pocket as you picked him up."</p><p>"I'll hold it for him until he wakes up," Asriel said.</p><p>The goat boy sat down beside his old bed as Frisk slept in it.</p><p>The room was silent as they all enjoyed a moment of peace.</p><p>"Does it bother you?" Gaster suddenly asked the goat child, "Coming back to this room?"</p><p>"I don't think it will ever <em>not</em> hurt to come back here," Asriel replied, "but, I can't live in the past forever, especially not now that I've been given another chance for a future."</p><p>After a moment of watching them, Gaster decided to excuse himself from the room so the children could enjoy the quiet.</p><p>Asriel continued to watch Frisk sleep when suddenly, the silence in the room was broken by a familiar musical melody. Feeling a vibration ripple through his hand, Asriel realized that the sound was Frisk's cellphone.</p><p>Asriel looked at the phone, his heart nearly stopped when he saw the name of the caller on the screen:</p><p>"<strong>TORIEL</strong>"</p><p>"Of course," Asriel mumbled, "she's probably worried, because, Frisk has been here for a while."</p><p>The phone rang continuously, yet somehow, the sound did not wake Frisk. Looking pensively at the phone, Asriel made a momentous decision and answered the phone himself.</p><p>"H-Hello?" he answered hesitantly.</p><p>"Frisk are you done in the Underground yet?" Toriel asked, "You have been gone for quite a long time and nobody has heard from you."</p><p>Asriel took a deep and exhaled contently, nervous, but, nonetheless happy to hear his mother's voice.</p><p>"Sorry to worry you," the goat boy voiced placidly, "we're done, you can come pick us up now."</p><p>There was a lengthy silence on the other end of the phone.</p><p>"Who...is this?" his mother asked soberly, "Where is...Frisk?"</p><p>Now, there truly was no turning back.</p><p>"He's taking a nap right now," Asriel answered, "but, you can come get us any time now."</p><p>"Ah...you..." Toriel faltered on the other end.</p><p>"Can you bring Dad, too?" the goat boy asked, trying to hold back tears as he essentially confirmed his identity to her, "I wanna see him, too, and...it would make explaining everything far easier."</p><p>He could sense his mother's shock as he heard only silence from the other end of the line.</p><p>"Okay," Asriel said resolutely, "we'll get ready for you, we'll see you soon...Mom...love you."</p><p>With that, he hung up the phone and finally let the tears run down his face as he dropped the phone in his lap, he looked up, he was so anxious about what would happen next, but, he was also happy for himself. No more hiding, no more running away, an explanation was long overdue,<strong> it was time to go hom</strong>e.</p><hr/><p>It was nearly an hour later when Toriel was making her way to the base of Mount Ebott with Asgore in tow.</p><p>"It's a bit breezy tonight," Asgore noted as the cool air brushed through his fur.</p><p>Toriel nodded in response.</p><p>"Is everything okay?" the goat man wondered, "You seemed so flustered when you asked me to come with you and you've been quiet the entire trip."</p><p>"It is just..." Toriel replied haltingly, "we were...both...requested to...pick up."</p><p>"Frisk asked for both of us to come?" Asgore responded curiously.</p><p>Toriel did not respond.</p><p>"Toriel?" the goat man pressed warily.</p><p>Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, raising her hand to make him stop as well.</p><p>"Toriel?" they heard, it was Frisk, "Asgore?"</p><p>"Frisk?" Toriel called back.</p><p>It was then they saw the human boy walk into the fading sunlight, but, to their shock he was not alone, for he was leading...a certain someone by the hand.</p><p>"Look who I found!" Frisk said happily.</p><p>Toriel and Asgore could only stare in awe as the goat child looked at them so lovingly and thoughtfully.</p><p>"Hi, Mom," Asriel said wistfully, "hi, Dad."</p><p>"It was not a trick," Toriel uttered meekly, tears instantly forming and flowing from her eyes.</p><p>"I...have a lot to explain," Asriel stated.</p><p>"As do I." they heard.</p><p>It was then they saw Dr. Gaster appear behind the children.</p><p>"Hello, old friend." the skeleton man said to Asgore.</p><p>It took everything the already astonished goat man had to not fall over at the reveal.</p><p>"We're all ready to go home," Frisk said serenely.</p><p>Asriel's smile fell slightly.</p><p>"Can we?" the goat boy asked meekly.</p><p>Unable to stand it anymore, Toriel fell to her knees, overwhelmed with emotion, and sobbed gratefully as she took her beloved, long-lost son into her arms. Asgore wasted no time joining her, quickly reaching out for Frisk, who gladly joined the hug. Dr. Gaster walked over and tranquilly placed his hand on Asgore's shoulder.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is one of the Undertale fics that I'm the proudest of.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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